Turn shoe and shank stiffener therefor



Dec/18, 1928.

\ W. G. DODGE TURN SHOE AND SHANK STIFFENER THEREFOR Filed May 4, 1921 Patented Dec. 18, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM G. DODGE, OF NEWBURYPORT, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED.

SHANK & FINDINGS COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

TURN SHOE AND SHANK STIFFENER THEREFOR.

Application filed May 4,

This invention relates to improvements in turn shoes and shank stiffeners therefor.

A turn shoe is customarily provided with a shank stiffener, frequently termed a turn shank, consisting of a more or less'fiexible stiffener member, commonly called a filler piece, of leather or leatherboard which is shaped to fit within the heel and shank portions of the shoe, and a metallic reinforcing strip which is attached to the lower side of the filler piece. At its' heel end the stiffener member or filler piece is commonly secured to the shoe by the heel-attaching nails. The shank portion of the filler piece, however, is either left entirely unattached or it is secured in place merely by glue or by a small tack in such a manner that this portion of the filler piece usually becomes detached after the shoe has been worn a short time. VVhenunsecured to the sole the shank portion of the filler piece is capable of moving longitudinally relatively to the sole when the shoe is flexed, as when. the wearer is walking. As a result inmost turn shoes the shank stiffener cannot be relied upon properly to support-and stiffen the arch or shank.

In view of the foregoing, one object of the present invention is to provide a turn shoe of improved construction which will insure the desired adequate and permanent stiffening of the shank or arch of the shoe.

To the attainment of this object the invention, considered in one aspect, as herein exemplified, consists in a turn shoe having a shank stifi'ener comprising a filler piece extending over;the heel and shank portions of the sole and a reinforcing strip for the filler piece, means for rigidly securing both ends of the reinforcing stripto the filler piece, means for rigidly securing the heel end of thefiller iece to the sole, and fastening means extending through the sole of the shoe and through both the filler piece and the reinforcing strip forwardly of the heel of the shoe rigidly to secure together the shank stiffener and the sole. As illustrated, the fastening means is a rivet which'is clinched inside of the shoe and securely locks both the filler piece and the reinforcing strip to the shank portion of the sole so that the latter is adequately and permanently supported or stifiened.

In another aspect the invention resides in the provision of an improved shank piece or shank stiffener unit for a.- turn shoe comprising a stiffener member or filler piece shaped to conform substantially to the outline of the heel and shank portions only of the inside of a turn shoe and provided with a perforation in its shank portion for the reception of a rivet for securing the shank stiffener unit to the sole, a longitudinally arched metallic strip for reinforcing the shank portion of the stiffener member and having a perforation for the reception of said rivet, and means at each end portion of the reinforcing strip for securing the latter to the stiffener member or filler piece with said perforations in registration. i

The invention will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings, in

'which' F 1g. 1 1s a diagrammatic plan View of a metal strip from which a plurality of reinforcing strip blanks have been cut;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a reinforcing strip blank;

Fig. 3 is an end view of the blank;

Fig. 4 is a. View, partly in section and partly in elevation, illustrating the shaping of the 1 blank;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational View, partly in section, of the improved shank stiffener showing the leather stiffener member or filler piece with a metallic reinforcing strip made fast thereto Fig.6 isa longitudinal section through a turn shoe in which the improved shank stiffener is incorporated; and

Fig. 7 is a plan view of a metal strip from which has been cut a lurality of reinforcing strip blanks of modi ed form.

In Figure 1 of these drawings in shown a metallic strip 1, which is cut at intervals therethrough to form individual reinforcing strip blanks 2. Each blank terminates at its ends in prongs 3 and is punched or perforated at 4, preferably in the blank cutting operation. Each blank is then formed for example, between dies as shown in Fig. 4, the prongs 3 being bent or struck up at the desired angle and the central portion of the stripbeing curved to conform to the longitudinal curvature of the shoe shank and having a central longitudinal stiffening. rib 5 formed therein. In Fig. 5 there is shown at 6 of the sole of a turn shoe and which has a thin skived forward end 7. This piece 6 constit-utes a stiffener member or filler piece of the type ordinarily reinforced by a metallic reinforcing strip to form what is commonly known as a turn shank or shank stiffener for turn shoes.

The metal reinforcing strip which is made with the hole 4. Thus a shank stiffener unit is produced which is ready forincorp'oration in a shoe. Next, the stiffener unit, consisting of the filler piece 6, and the metal reinforcing strip, is placed in position in a turn shoe, as

shown" in Fig. 6, and the sole of the shoeis perforated at 9 in alinement with the holes 4 and 8 and substantially centrally of its shank portion. A rivet 10 is passed through the registering holes in the sole, the reinforcing strip, and the filler piece, and the rivet is clinched at 11 within the shoe. The forward end portion of the filler piece may be made fast to the sole by any suitable securing means and the rear end of the filler piece may also be made fast to the sole by means such as the heel attaching nails 12. The above described method is claimed in a divisional applieation Serial No. 186,739, filed April 26,

The modified form of reinforcing strip blank shown in Fig. 7 is'designed forthe purpose of decreasing the waste in the blanking or cutting out of the metal reinforcing strip. In this case prongs 3', corresponding to the prongs 3, are made at one end of the metal blank, and prongs 3 are formed at the other end of this blank, the prongs 3 of one blank nestingwithin the prongs 3 of the adjacent blank. B this means the waste from the cutting o the prongs is much re duced and the number of blanks which maybe cut from a long strip of stock somewhat increased. I11 other respects the construction is the same as before described.

In Fig. 6 there is shown a turn shoe of the sort produced by the, practice of the abovedescribed method. The illustrated shoe has incorporated therein a shank stiffener unit consistlng of the'stiffener member or filler. piece 6 and a metallic reinforcing strip. The reinforcing strip is firmly secured by the prongs 3 to the stiffener member 6. -The stiffener member or filler piece 6 is shaped to conform substantially to the outline of the heel and shank portions of the inside of the shoe. The perforation 8 in the stiffener memher 6 is in registration'or alinement with the perforation 4 in the reinforcing strip, both said perforations being formed preliminarily to the assembly of the stiffener unit with the sole of the shoe. In the sole of the shoe shown in Fig. tithe perforation 9 is in registration with the alined perforations 4 and 8 in the component pa'rts'ofthe stiffener unit and the stiffener unit is secured to the sole by the rivet 10 which extends through the perforations 9, 4 and 8. The heel attaching nails 12 secure the rear portion of the filler piece 6 to the shoe. while the forward extremity of the filler piece may be left unsecured or may be secured in any suitable manner, as may be desired.

ing together of the parts of the shank stiffener and also the incorporating of the stiffenerin a shoe may be conveniently and expeditiously practised. This will be apparent when it is realized that the fastenerreceiving perforation 8 in the filler piece is initially formed in alinement with the perforation 4 in the reinforcing strip and also that the perforation 9 in the sole of the shoe is initially formed in alinement with the alined perforations 4 and 8 in the reinforcing strip and filler piece. Consequently when the filler pieceand the reinforcing stri are being asscmbledj'and later when the sti ener unit composed of these two parts is being assembled with the sole of the shoe, it is unnec essary to waste time by bringing into registration fastener-receiving perforations originally made out of registering relation in the various parts. Furthermore, the arrangement is such that the herein described fastening means permanently and rigidly secures the stiffener unit and the sole in assembled relationto preserve the arch at the shank of the shoe.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentof the United States is l. A turn shoe having a shank stiffener comprising a stiffener member and a reinforcing strip fixed at its ends to said stiffener member. a single fastener extending through the shank portion of the sole of the shoe and through both the stiffener member and the reinforcing strip and rigidly securing said stiffener member and strip to the sole. and other means for securing the stiffener memher only to the sole at a point spaced from said fastener.

2. A turn shoe having a shank stiffener comprising a filler piece extending over the heel and shank portions of the sole and a reinforcing strip for the filler piece, means for rigidly securing both ends of the reinforcing strip to the filler piece, means for rigidly securing the heel end of the filler piece to the sole and fastening means extending through the sole of the shoe and through both the filler piece and the reinforcing strip forwardly of the heel of the shoe rigidly to secure together theshank stiffener and the sole.

3. A shank stiffener for turn shoes comprising a filler piece shaped to conform to the interior outline of the shank and heel portions of the bot-tom of a shoe and'having a fastener-receiving perforation preliminarily formed in its shank portion, a metallic reinforcing strip having a preliminarily formed fastener-receiving perforation extending therethrough at a point intermediate between its end portions and arranged with its perforation registering with the perforation in the filler piece, and means unassociated with either of said perforations and secur ing said filler piece and said reinforcing strip together in the relation specified.

4. A shank stiffener unit for a turn shoe comprising a stiffener member shaped to conform substantially to the outline of the heel and shank portions only of the inside of a the shank stiffener unit to the sole, a longitudinally arched metallic strip for reinforcing the shank portion of said stiffener member and having a perforation for the reception of said rivet, and means at each end portion of said reinforcing strip securing said strip to said stiffener member with said perforations in registration.

5. A turn shoe comprising, in combination, a sole, a shank stiffener member shaped to conform substantially to the outline of the heel and shank portions only of the inside of the shoe and having a rivet-receiving perforation in its shank portion, means for rigidly securing the heel portion of said stiffener member to the sole of the shoe, a metallic reinforcing strip for-said stifiener member having a rivet-receiving aperture therein, means at the opposite end portions of said reinforcing strip for securing the latter to said stiffener member with said apertures in registration, and a rivet extending through the sole substantially at the middle of its shank portion and through the registering apertures in the stiffener member and the reinforcing strip rigidly to secure the stiffener member and the reinforcing strip to the sole.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

WVILLIAM G. DODGE. 

